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Briefs: Town council approves grants for community groups

The Community Lunch Box Society, Lornes Blanket, Tennille's Hope and Twice is Nice will be collectively receiving $50,000 worth of grants from the Town of Whitecourt.

Whitecourt Town Council unanimously approved the Community Services Advisory Board's recommendations for the 2018 FCSS grants during its regular meeting on Jan. 23.

"We have a rigorous criteria structure," said Coun. Tom Pickard, who sits on the board. "I'm very confident in putting this proposal forward if there aren't any questions."

The Community Lunch Box Society received $23,000 for its volunteer support initiatives and program co-ordinator; Lornes Blanket received $4,424 for a client navigator and FASD training for this navigator; Tennille's Hope received $2687 for volunteer training; and Twice is Nice received $20,000 for a volunteer program co-ordinator.

"All of the applications met FCSS criteria and none of them were disqualified for the services that cannot be provided under the FCSS program", said Chelsea Grande, director of community services.

This grant program serves to assist community organizations that provide social programs to the community that are "preventive in nature" according to Town administration.

Some requirements for the program include helping people become more self-reliant, promoting positive social relationships and supporting people to remain active participants in the community.

Meanwhile, these services cannot primarily provide for recreational needs or the leisure time of individuals. They also cannot be primarily rehabilitative, duplicate services normally provided by the government or have already received funding through the Town of Whitecourt's annual budget.

Sportfield Master Plan

Council unanimously moved to adopt the second phase of the Sportfield Master Plan, which prices and prioritizes outdoor recreation projects.

For example, one top priority is to relocate a full-size soccer field from Graham Acres to Rotary Park, which will allow for the future expansion of a baseball diamond and the addition of a new one.